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Consistentquality, permanent availability, maximum output - it takes more than reliablemachines to securely achieve these criteria of success. The perfect interplaybetween injection moulding machine and process technology, automation andperiphery, digitalisation and networking is what allows plastics processors tofully utilise efficiency and quality potentials and continuously increase theircompetitive edge. At the Plast 2018 in Milan, Italy, from May 29 to June 1, theinjection moulding machine manufacturer and systems solution provider Engelwill present challenging injection moulding applications and multiple ExpertCorners to demonstrate how this looks in practice.

 

Automotive: in-mould coating for high-gloss andscratch-proof exterior parts

At thePlast 2018, Engel will bring the evolved clearmelt in-mould coating technologyto Italy for the first time. When it comes to the integrated process for the extremelyefficient production of high-quality surfaces, automobile manufacturers have sofar focused mainly on vehicle interior applications. However, at its booth inMilan Engel will be producing D-pillars for a SUV model. The high-glossexterior claddings will be produced painted alternately in black and metallicsilver on an Engel duo 2460/500 injection moulding machine. In addition to theextremely high quality appearance of the components, extremely scratchproofsurfaces are another advantage that clearmelt technology provides for theexterior area. Testing in a car wash has shown the sample parts to be veryrobust.

In theclearmelt process, at first a thermoplastic base carrier is produced in theinjection moulding machine, then coated in polyurethane in the second cavity ofthe same mould. The process can be easily combined with IML, allowing for theuse of decorative and capacitive foils as well as wood veneers. In a singlestep, clearmelt technology thus provides pre-finished vehicle components thatdo not need to be varnished or post-processed in any way. The polyurethanetopcoat provides the high degree of gloss and the scratch resistance. clearmeltis currently the only process on the market that delivers various surfacestructures, scratchproof and ready for installation. Embossed structures –leather grain, for example – are also precision moulded.

In theclearmelt process, it was initially only possible to process colourlesspolyurethane in this high degree of efficiency, but now Engel's partnerHennecke (St. Augustin, Germany) has split the isocyanate and colour processingacross two systems, allowing for the processing of various colours in quicksuccession. With the new Colourline and Multi-Connect Systems by Hennecke, thecolour change only takes 15 minutes. The complete PUR process is controlledthrough the CC300 operating panel of the Engel injection moulding machine.

The highlyintegrated and completely automated process is the result of close cooperationbetween a total of four companies. Besides Engel and Hennecke, Schöfer(Schwertberg, Austria) and Votteler (Korntal-Münchingen, Germany) are involved.

 

Packaging: highest performance meets maximumenergy efficiency

Thepackaging exhibit is all about high performance in conjunction with very shortcycle times. 500 ml food containers will be produced on an all-electric Engele-motion 440/160 injection moulding machine featuring a 2-cavity mould byGlaroform (Näfels, Switzerland). Thanks to in-mould labelling (IML), theproduction cell will be outputting ready-to-fill packaging. For the IMLautomation, Engel is collaborating with two Italian partners: Campetella(Montecassiano) and Viappiani (Segrate).

The ongoingdevelopment of the e-motion has firmly established the machine series in thearea of high-performance applications in the packaging industry. The currentmachine generation is able to achieve cycle times of well under three secondsand injection speeds of more than 500 mm per second, thereby combining maximumperformance with maximum energy efficiency. The closed system for toggle leversand spindles guarantees optimal, clean lubrication of all moving machinecomponents at all times and complies with the strict cleanliness requirementsof the food industry.

 

Medical: maximum integration with a minimalfootprint

Highlyintegrated, compact production cells minimise the system footprint and increasesurface productivity. These features really pay off in the clean room. For thisreason, Engel redeveloped its stainless steel pipe distributor for the cavityspecific handling of small injection moulding parts so that the handling systemnow fits completely into the expanded safety gate of the injection mouldingmachine. At the Plast, Engel will present the new, extremely compact solutionwith the production of needle holders for 1ml safety syringes on an Engele-victory 170/80 injection moulding machine. An Engel viper 12 linear robotwill remove the delicate polystyrene parts from the 16-cavity mould - made byFostag (Stein am Rhein, Switzerland) - and transfer them to the distributionsystem. In order to ensure batch traceability down to the level of individualcavities, the injection moulded parts will be packed in cavity-specific bags.For this purpose, 16 bags are hung in a cart located directly beneath the pipedistributor. Individual shots can be extracted for quality control purposes.

Forunmanned clean-room operation - during the night-shift, for example - two cartscan be alternated in sequence, with a buffering system enabling the fullyautomated switch. The entire periphery for this is integrated into the CC300control unit of the injection moulding machine. Thanks to shared data storage,the CC300 can precisely coordinate the movements of the machine and the robotwith each other, thus optimising overall efficiency. In addition to this, thereare also especially short robot paths due to the tie-bar-less clamping unit ofthe e-victory machine. In this application, both of these factors contribute tothe short cycle times of six seconds.

With a shotweight of only 0.08 g and varying wall thicknesses, the delicate needle holdersrequire extremely precise process control. Since fluctuations in the meltvolume can immediately result in rejects, iQ weight control from the inject 4.0programme of Engel will be used. The software analyses the pressure curveduring the injection process in real-time and compares the measured values witha reference cycle. Based on these results, the switchover point and theinjection profile are adapted to the current conditions, thus maintaining aconsistent injected volume during the entire production run. This way,fluctuations in the environmental conditions and in the raw materialcompensated for within the same shot, before resulting in rejects.

 

Technical Moulding: LSR and PBT preciselycombined in a tie-bar-less machine

Multi-componentprocesses with liquid silicone (LSR) and thermoplastic resins are continuing togain ground. In many applications, only the integrated Engel combimelt processmakes it possible to bond thermoplastics and silicone together in stablelayers. One example of this are coupling cushions that serve as windshieldfasteners for rain sensors. During the trade fair, the two-component parts willbe produced using PBT and LSR on an Engel victory 200H/200L/160 combi injectionmoulding machine with an integrated Engel viper 40 linear robot. The 4+4 cavitymould for these applications is made by Rico (Thalheim, Austria).

Manufacturingtwo-component parts optimally leverages the efficiency potential of the victorymachine's tie-bar-less clamping unit, which allows large, bulky moulds to bemounted on relatively small machines. For many applications, that makes itpossible to invest in smaller injection moulding machines than the moulddimensions would traditionally require. Automation is a second efficiencyfactor. The Engel linear robot can reach the cavities directly from the sideand operate safely without having to circumvent any protruding edges. Thirdly,the extremely high process consistency constructively ensured by thetie-bar-less clamping unit factors significantly into the high degree ofoverall efficiency. The patented force divider enables the moving mouldmounting platen to follow the mould exactly while clamping force is building upand ensures that the clamping force is evenly distributed across the platenface. Both the outer and inner cavities are therefore kept closed with exactlythe same force, reducing mould wear and raising product quality. The burr-free,zero-waste, rework-free, and fully automatic processing of LSR is the keyelement in the economic manufacturing of high-tech products from liquidsilicone.

 

Inject 4.0: self-optimising injection mouldingmachine

When itcomes to pushing the envelope of what is technically possible, digitalisationand networking are leading injection moulding processing into the future – thisonce again becomes apparent at the exhibition booth of Engel at the Plast 2018.In its machine exhibits and in multiple Expert Corners, Engel will presentrepeatedly proven as well as new products from its inject 4.0 programme. Themodularity of the inject 4.0 approach makes it especially easy for plasticsprocessors to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Industry 4.0. Withthe production of inject 4.0 logos on an Engel emotion 80 TL injection mouldingmachine, Engel will demonstrate how individual solutions can already provide agreat deal of benefit. The CC300 machine control is capable of simulatingprocess fluctuations; the automatic readjustments by the intelligent assistancesystems can then be tracked on the display of the machine. While iQ weightcontrol maintains consistent injected melt volume throughout the entireinjection moulding process, iQ clamp control monitors the mould breathing inorder to calculate and automatically adjust the optimal clamping force.

iQ flowcontrol, the third assistance system, connects the injection moulding machine,which is equipped with the e-flomo electronic temperature control waterdistributor, to the temperature control unit, enabling the speed of the pumpsto automatically adjust to the actual requirements. This results in higherenergy efficiency. Together with its partner HB-Therm, Engel has developed itsown line of temperature control units called e-temp. Among other things, theExpert Corners at the booth will further focus on MES authenthig and the newcustomer portal e-connect, which Engel is presenting at the Plast for the firsttime in Italy. The goal of development was to provide even more specificinformation to the customers, to get in touch with them even faster, and toprovide them with even more support in meeting the challenges of Industry 4.0.All machines and systems solution supplied by Engel from the first orderonwards are stored in the system and their current status can be viewed. For amaximum overview, the operator can simulate the individual structure of hismachine park in the system and also assign the production facilities todifferent halls or departments online. Support and service requests can besubmitted online, which is not only more comfortable for the user, but alsospeeds up order processing. As soon as the customer has submitted the request,it is automatically forwarded to the service team, which can start working onit without delay.

The newcustomer portal supports the online support and remote maintenance as well asall the other service products from the inject 4.0 programme of Engel, such ase connect.monitor for condition-based, predictive maintenance.

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